Gaffney man charged with arson, attempted murder of parents

A Gaffney man has been charged with attempted murder after deputies say he set fire to the home he shared with his hearing-impaired parents.

By Jenny Arnoldjennifer.arnold@shj.com

A Gaffney man has been charged with attempted murder after deputies say he set fire to the home he shared with his hearing-impaired parents.Fletcher Edward Blanton, 22, of 1333 Ford Road has been charged by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office with grand larceny, third-degree arson and two counts of attempted murder, arrest warrants state.Sheriff Steve Mueller said firefighters and deputies responded to a fire about 1:30 a.m. Monday. An incident report states that Blanton told investigators that he awoke to find smoke inside the home, got his parents out of the house and called 911.Firefighters, however, found evidence that the fire had been intentionally set, Mueller said. Investigators found that Blanton had disconnected a special fire alarm with a flashing light designed for the hearing impaired and thrown it outside.“I guess at some point, he had second thoughts, kicked their bedroom door in and got them out,” Mueller said.Blanton also had removed tools and electronics valued at $4,850 from the home before the blaze, Mueller said.Evidence from the fire has been sent to the State Law Enforcement Division for analysis to determine how the fire was set.Investigators met with Blanton at the sheriff's office for an interview on Tuesday. Although he had not been placed under arrest, Blanton ran from the interview and was caught by deputies after a brief chase next door at the public works office, Mueller said.The home was a total loss, with damage estimated at $75,000, according to the incident report. Blanton's family is being assisted by several agencies in Cherokee County, Mueller said.Blanton has been denied bond and remains at the Cherokee County Detention Center.